The Colossal Hoax Of Organic Agriculture

Forbes.com ^ | 7/29/2015 | Henry I. Miller and Drew L. Kershen

[Beave Meister]

Organic agriculture is an unscientific, heavily subsidized marketing gimmick that misleads and rips off consumers. The federal government should stop promoting and subsidizing it.

Consumers of organic foods are getting both more and less than they bargained for. On both counts, it’s not good.

Many people who pay the huge premium—often more than a hundred percent–for organic foods do so because they’re afraid of pesticides. If that’s their rationale, they misunderstand the nuances of organic agriculture. Although it’s true that synthetic chemical pesticides are generally prohibited, there is a lengthy list of exceptions listed in the Organic Foods Production Act, while most “natural” ones are permitted. However, “organic” pesticides can be toxic. As evolutionary biologist Christie Wilcox explained in a 2012 Scientific American article (“Are lower pesticide residues a good reason to buy organic? Probably not.”): “Organic pesticides pose the same health risks as non-organic ones.”

[Grateful2God]

Funny! This is different. Before a product may be certified organic, the soil must be tested, as is the water and any fertilizers, etc. Livestock may only be feed veggies grown this way, and cannot have growth hormones injected to increase the animal’s size. It’s actually a very stringent process for both the fruits and veggies, and for animals...

[MrB]

Ask my kids what “organic” means and they’ll tell you

“twice the price”

[MrB]

“Organic” means they paid off some government bureaucracy to “certify” them.

[Grateful2God]

Actually there are natural ways to eliminate pests without using conventional pesticides. Check out Jerry Baker dot com. Also, some may be grown indoors, hydroponically, with less chance of being exposed to pesticides... Locusts, well, you need a good long staff, and Charlton Heston! Lol!

[antidisestablishment]

Organic gardening doesn’t really affect taste—just freshness and variety do.

Almost all commercial crops were selected for one characteristic: transportation. Flavor is far down the line. Many of the best foods can’t be shipped outside a small area, but they are amazing.

[Grateful2God]

Carbon-based and organic, in this case mean something different. For me, the biggest thing is that the animals aren't injected with hormones, a good thing, especially for kids..
Yeah it is more expensive. I can't afford it: but then again, I've lived near factories and toxic waste dumps all my life... Not much bothers me. 👾

[CodeToad]

As Alton Brown said it: “Stay away from ‘organic’ unless you like bugs.”

[CodeToad]

” All I can add to the discussion is that extraordinary taste of the tomatoes astonished everyone who ate them.”

Or maybe you made such a big deal out of ‘organic’ they simply were polite and played along.

[odawg]

“Or maybe you made such a big deal out of ‘organic’ they simply were polite and played along.”

I NEVER told them they were organic.

“...they simply were polite and played along.”

If you knew my folks, that thought would NEVER enter your mind.

[TurboZamboni]

It’s more about feeling smug. that’s why they sell “I eat organic” bumper stickers for people’s cars.

[Pining_4_TX]

Maybe the whole organic craze is just another way for the elite to distance themselves from the riffraff. Only rich liberals can afford to buy all organic products. It sets them apart and gives them status. Also, they won’t have to worry about having to shop with the peons at Walmart who are just hoping to find ground beef at a price they can afford.

[Madam Theophilus]

Sorry to disappoint, but those who have studied and practiced organic agriculture are not surprised. There is a huge difference between what is commercially allowed by the USDA to be called “organic” for commercial marketing and what actually is the real agriculture method. Before you join the chorus booing organics, try reading up on some of what is being done in agriculture instead. Be prepared, it might take more than skimming one or two articles.

Try Rodale Institute, one of the original think tanks:
https://rodaleinstitute.org/science/farming-systems-trial/

or

Newer methodologies, like biological agriculture:
https://www.midwesternbioag.com/about/about-biological-farming/

and

Regenative Farming:
https://soilhealthacademy.org/fact-sheets/

Of course, there is Joel Salatin’s Polyface Farm - who is an industry all himself (he calls himself a Christian libertarian lunatic farmer):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KlV1c8ucJcQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BIbXU5iR2P4 (older)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O3SgJS_Ks8U